On the mend

Da and I always look forward to conference weekend. We have this idea that its going to be peaceful and that we are going to be fed by the spirit, and are going to enjoy listening to our prophet and leaders of the church. Once the first session begins on Saturday morning, reality sinks in. Oh yes, we have 4 children. They are crazy, loud and a bunch of hooligans! We are lucky to hear bits and pieces. Thank goodness they print it later and you can upload it to your mp3 player.

Well this conference weekend was especially crazy. It all started on Friday afternoon when Jack started having water diarrhea. Sadie had it a week previous and Maddie a few days before that. It lasted 1-2 days and then they were better. I assumed the same for Jack. 2:30 am on Saturday, Jack wakes up(in our bed because he had come in sometime before that) and throws up. We are up with him until 4 am, he is throwing up and having diarrhea. We finally get him back asleep and at 5 Kev wakes up and I nurse him. I was planning on going garage selling with a friend, and I figured I was up anyhow. So basically I was up that day at 2:30 am. Oh well, I figured I would just be tired.

I get home from garage selling around 9:30 am( found some great stuff by the way) and I notice that one of Kevin's eyes is a bit swollen. I thought it was strange, but I didn't really worry to much. We watched the first session, it was a bit crazy, but we heard some of it. At the start of the second session, I start mixing my dough for our traditional cinnamon rolls and Da wanted me to make fried rice, so that he could eat before he went to the priesthood session. Kev was taking a nap, and I went to check on him, and his face was red and splotchy. I thought maybe he was hot so I unswaddled him. While I was cooking though, I started to get kind of worried about him.

When he woke up, Da went to get him and brought him to me( I was still cooking and listening to conference) His face was swollen like crazy!! His eyes were swollen, his cheeks, and he was red and very splotchy. We started freaking out a bit, and I got on the phone to call the pediatrician. Of course they are not open, so I am being transferred to some other service and waiting on hold, when Da comes back to me and says he thinks he is getting worse. At this point his lips were starting to swell and turn purple! He still seems to be breathing okay, but we immediately decide to go the emergency room. We quick throw everyone in the van, unplug the skillet, just leave everything.

We pull out of the driveway, and I call our friends Heidi and Randy who live just down the street. She agrees to take the girls with 10 seconds notice, Da basically comes to a slow at their driveway, the girls hop out. ( we take Jack because of course he is throwing up with diarrhea) I am so grateful for such wonderful friends here, that I know will help me out anytime.

We make it to the hospital fine, spend 5 hours in the ER,( they got him right back) they run several tests, and give him some bendryl. His little face is so swollen, he has a rash that goes down his back and chest. Thankfully it never moves to his throat, which is the reason we rushed him to the ER, we were so scared!!! They think that he had an allergic reaction to something, though they don't know what for sure. Possibly a bug bite, or I had started him on some new baby soap a few days previous. Though the doctors were doubtful there was a connection because his reaction was so severe, likely it would of happened the first time we had used it. Regardless, they want him to spend the night and monitor him.

Da takes poor little Jack back home to get me and Kevin a few things to spend the night, and brings everything back. Heidi keeps the girls overnight, which was such a HUGE help to Da. He finally gets poor little sick Jack home around 11 pm. I am up all night at the hospital, the nurses coming in and checking his vitals, waking him up. Plus, they have him on this machine to monitor his heart rate and breathing. It seriously lets out this horrible alarm sound every time he moves his little foot. Needless to say, two nights in a row without any sleep. Poor Da is up that night again with little Jack throwing up and diarrhea.

Kevin is released from the hospital and we get home around noon on Sunday. We get to hear the last session of conference, and even the girls listen. Kevin is totally back to normal, his little face is fine and all is well with him. We know what dosage of benadryl to give him if it ever happens again. Hopefully it was just a fluke thing. Poor little guy, he was so happy through the whole thing, as he always is.

Monday comes, which is always crappy because Da teaches a night class on Monday and Tuesday nights.(though the Monday class had its last class this week thank goodness) Poor little Jack continues to throw up with diarrhea all day and I end up taking him to a ready care that night because I am so worried about dehydration. They check him out and say for now he is okay, but to keep pumping the fluids. All day Tuesday, he throws up with diarrhea. I also have the drywallers here all day working on the bonus room, so there is dust everywhere! More things to clean. Finally last night around 8pm, he tells me he not going to puke or have diarrhea again, " I better mommy". He slept all night without waking up and I am so hopeful that he is on the mend. Please!!! Also, I got this awesome miracle blanket at a garage sale still in its package and I tried it out last night on Kevin and he slept through the night! I feel so great this morning!!

Its times like this that I really miss our family. However I am so grateful for my mom, who calls me nearly everyday, to just say hi, and to check in with what we are doing, to talk to the kids on the phone. It is nice to have her loving support even though she is clear across the country. She called while we were in the ER on Saturday, to say Hi, and it was so nice to know that she is always thinking of me and my little family.

At the same time, I am so grateful for our many sweet friends here, who have been calling me, and checking in on us, and offering to do anything they can to help. I am praying now that Da, Kev, and myself avoid the pukes, and that today Jack is on the mend. I am also hoping that today I can catch up on my house, finally clean up, and tackle the immense amount of laundry that I have. We are always drowning in laundry, but as everyone knows, its so much worse when the family has had the pukes!

I realize this is a crazy long post, but hey, this is our life, the good and the bad! :)